


Partners in Crime

by CapNstuff



Series: Partners in Crime [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Adorable Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Aliens, Bounty Hunters, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Drug Warning, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Touching, Good Parent Din Djarin, Hugs, Injury, Jealous Din, Jealousy, Kissing, Mando'a Language (Star Wars), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Din Djarin, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Soft Din Djarin, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers, Touch-Starved, Touch-Starved Din Djarin, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27664340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapNstuff/pseuds/CapNstuff
Summary: You and the Mandalorian have been business partners for a while. You’ve both become pretty accustomed to this lifestyle and taking care of the child until the fine line between bounty hunters and lovers start to bleed.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, The Mandalorian/Reader, The Mandalorian/You
Series: Partners in Crime [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022812
Comments: 10
Kudos: 130





	1. Forehead Touches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> din isn’t used to being touched by soft hands.

Beads of sweat ran down your temple as a defeated sigh left your lips. This was supposed to be an easy bounty, but it was never that simple, was it? You and your partner—who was the best bounty hunter in the parsec—had gotten a puck with a pretty hefty bounty and you two desperately needed the money.

All it was, was a prince that had run far away from his homeland and his parents wanted him back home alive, safe, and sound. See? Easy peasy. Well, at least the two of you thought that anyway.

This prince was a crafty little son of a bitch and was extremely hard to catch. He ran the two of you all around this small little town. First you went through a cantina, then a guild, then some poor woman’s home. 

He was exceptionally great at hiding and dodging your attacks, which only annoyed you to no end. With the Mandalorian’s heavy beskar armor, he had even more of a struggle trying to catch the kid.

The last time the two of you saw him, he had headed straight for the busy markets. So, the two of you sat tight for just a little while and hoped to spot the kid somewhere

“Still no sign of him yet?”

The Mandalorian turned towards you and shook his head; an exasperated sigh buzzed through his modulator. He didn’t want to stay on this planet for long, afraid that someone might take the child whom you left with Peli.

You scan the crowds and search for any signs of a kid. Your hand traced the blaster that sat right in its holster; it was something you did when you needed to concentrate.

“Maker—where is that fucking kid?”

The Mandalorian had chuckled next to you, leaning on an old crate as he too scanned the crowd.

“He’s a sneaky one.”

He turned slightly to look at you, watching as your fingers glided over the barrel of the blaster. He gulped slightly at the feeling of his hands gathering sweat underneath the gloves. His heart rate already started to bolt up despite you doing absolutely nothing.

Ever since the two of you met, he had always been so enamored by your presence. There was just something about you that had him aching to know more, to know every single detail about you. Yet every single time, he’d try and push those feelings down to the bottom depths of his mind while he hoped it would just go away.

But every laugh, every smile, every kick and punch, every soft touch, every glance, every little thing that you did had all of his feelings rush to the surface. He couldn’t get you out of his head. Even Peli had to wave a hand in his face because he couldn’t stop staring at you hitting every single practice target.

He was in love with you, that much he knew. His mind was constantly clouded with thoughts about you. However, he still enclosed his feelings in a steel safe, and he hoped he would never have to open it.

“Mando! There he is!”

You don’t even wait for an answer as you raced down the middle of the market, dodging civilians left and right. You could see the kid’s back start to come closer and closer, your arm reaching out as far as you could to snatch the kid. You could hear the clunking sound of beskar armor behind you, you knew he was trying to catch up with the two of you.

Suddenly, the kid cut a corner and ran into a small area of jorgan fruit stands. Your body almost crashed into a handful of crates, but luckily, you were able to stop yourself, and you continued full speed to chase the bounty.

The kid looks back at you and sticks his tongue out, teasing you for being slower than he was.

“Oh for— this fucking kid!”

Your eyes widened slightly as an old man started walking right in front of your path. You panic at the thought of hitting some poor old man until you feel a sharp tug, and you flung forward, soaring over the old man. You were able to catch yourself from falling, and you continue to run after the kid.

You turn your head to peek behind you and see Mando’s grappling hook start to sling back towards him. He gives you a small nod before you turn back around, trying to focus on the hunt.

To your luck, the kid finally starts to get tired from all the running and ducking and dodging, his speed slowing down. Your heart is racing as your fingers brush against his brown jacket. You were so close, finger pads just barely touching the leather. You try and pick up your pace a little bit, your feet vibrating rapidly from the hard ground.

You yell in victory as your hand encloses around the jacket, your whole body coming forward to snatch him. The two of you tumble forward and roll onto the hard ground, dirt, and grass flung around the two of you.

Your hands immediately wrapped around the bounty’s arms; while he wiggled around to attempt to get out of your grasp. Shiny armor beamed in front of your eyes as the Mandalorian approached the two of you. He reached down and cuffed the kid, helping you up in the process.

Din’s heart skipped as he watched your smile beam up at him. His body becomes rigid and still as your hands went to hug him. He knew you were laughing in excitement, hugging him graciously at finally catching this simple bounty. Out of all the problems of today, he wasn’t expecting to feel the warming glow of your skin radiate onto his beskar. He wasn’t expecting your touch to be so soft or the smile on your face to be so bright.

What stole his breath away was the fact that your hands moved up to his helmet, slowly making him lean down to touch your foreheads together. He whipped his head backward as fast as he could, his heart slamming against his ribcage. You couldn’t like him, could you?

“W-What was that?”

You didn’t dare move out of his arms at first, not wanting to let him become closed off. Although, he didn’t move either, so you stand there with your arms secured around his forearm.

“In my culture, touching foreheads is a greeting but it can also be a way of celebration.”

There was a small pause as you hear your partner’s chest rise and fall hard like he couldn’t quite breathe right.

“Why? I didn’t do anything wrong did I?”

His head moved down to stare at the way your hands rested upon his forearm, squeezing the indestructible metal.

“W-Well, I- Uh, in Mandalorian culture, it means a k-kiss.”

He still couldn’t see the expression on your face as you gasped. He wanted to snap his eyes close and retreat to the Razor Crest. He wanted to let the ground swallow him whole. His hands started to become clammy, while thoughts raced against one another. He licked his lips once over before his eyes flickered towards yours.

And his breath hitched at the look you were giving him. You were giving him the looks that he’s been giving you, that look of pure adoration and respect.

“O-Oh.”

He watched in agony as that bright smile you wore started to fade, your arms slowly retracting themselves.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even thinking. I’ll just u-um, I’m so sorry if I disrespected-”

Din interrupted you by pulling your wrists forward, and you crash into his arms. Your hands were bunched up on his broad chest, your heart fluttering at his line of sight which was you. Your eyes start to flutter close as his head leaned down to touch yours.

His hands moved down to wrap them around your back and waist, pulling you in even further. You could hear the long breaths leaving his modulator, and you could feel his shaky hands move up and down your back, soothing the rough outlines of your shirt.

You didn’t know how long the two of you stood there, no words or thoughts being said. Din’s heart clenched at the whole scene in front of him. He couldn’t quite believe that this was even happening, so many dreams of his being fulfilled. 

Ever so slowly, the two of you had to depart. You almost shiver at the lack of warmth that surged through your body from the mere touches he gave you. The two of you stared at each other one last time, the smiles never leaving your faces.

Then, that little nagging in your head got the best of you, and you turned around.

“Oh my maker, where did the kid go?”


	2. the bounty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Din try to ignore the tender moment you shared but the bounty wouldn’t let it go.

After thirty whole minutes of catching the bounty for a second time, the two of you reluctantly made it back to the ship.

“You’re tricky to catch, aren’t you?”

The kid only snorted, the cuffs clanging against one another as you walked him up the ramp of the Razor Crest.

“Wouldn’t have been that tricky if you weren't distracted by bucket head over there.”

Your mouth falls open in surprise, and you almost trip over your feet on the ramp. You try to muster up a snappy comment back, but you stutter over your words—your body clearly indicating how flustered you were. Your nostrils flared in anger as the kid just smirked over at you while continuing to smugly walk up the ramp. After your little scene with the Mandalorian, you cleared your throat and tried to go catch the prince again. You would glance his way periodically, which made the Mandalorian glad that he had the helmet to cover his true feelings. He honestly wasn't paying much attention while trying to find the prince again. He couldn't get you out of his head after the keldabe kiss.

To your luck, the Mandalorian seemed busy with fixing whatever was wrong with the ship, the shine of sparks skating across the beskar. You were just hoping to maker that he didn't hear the prince's comment.

You smile softly as the little green child waddles up to you, raising his arms indicating that he wants to be picked up. You sweep him up and cradle him in his arms, gently cooing at you but occasionally snarling at the bounty that seemed to be interested in the surroundings of the ship.

“Is that yours and Mando-”

You whip your head immediately over to the kid as he stared wide-eyed at the small child in your arms.

“No! He’s not ours. W-We’re not-”

Your mouth snaps shut as you hear the Mandalorian come inside the ship and close the ramp behind him. He places some of his heavier weapons back into the safe, besides a blaster, of course, and locks it right back up.

You continue to patiently watch him as he walks over to the carbonite station and starts to get it ready, pressing buttons and levers here and there. A string of curses leaves the helmet as the carbonite machine malfunctions, and smoke starts to rise out of it.

“Looks like it’s your lucky day, kid.”

The prince sighs in relief as he definitely wasn't looking forward to being frozen in carbonite. Today really _was _in his favor. The Mandalorian can feel your stare at him as his heart pounds against his chest, and his stomach fills up with a tingling sensation. He tries to suppress the feeling, the want of you by pushing every thought to the back of his mind. He continues to try and fix the carbonite machine, but it seems as if it broke even further the longer he messed with it.__

__He then turns towards you almost in an apologetic manner, hoping that you would keep an eye on the bounty as he tries to get the ship ready. The prince looks between the two of you, eyeing you both suspiciously._ _

__“You know, I actually think the two of you would make a good couple.”_ _

__The Mandalorian almost drops the wrench in his hands, his mouth going completely dry as the little punk smugly stares at him. You, on the other hand, don’t even dare to look at the shiny helmet; you can feel the embarrassment rise up against your whole body._ _

__You open your mouth to deny the statement, but you’re quickly interrupted by a loud crash, which diverted your attention immediately. The Mandalorian was walking up the ladder, thinking about what the bounty had just said. Would you make a good couple? Of course, he had thought about it many times before, but he didn't think you would feel the same. He didn't want to destroy any kind of relationship he already had with you._ _

__However, the sole idea wouldn’t leave his head to the point where his foot missed, and he fell down the ladder, landing on the ground with a hard thud. His heart jumped as he saw you run over to him, your eyes scanning for any sign of injury._ _

__“Are you okay?”_ _

__He should’ve been much more embarrassed, but he couldn’t think when your warm hand was touching his clothed forearm. He just nods slowly before walking up the ladder again, making sure to be careful this time. He then sat in the pilot’s chair and starts up the engine of the ship, trying to get you out of his head._ _

__Meanwhile, you were currently feeding the child and watching the bounty as he sat on a chair in the corner of the small kitchen near the back of the ship. He seemed to be content with watching you feed the child and observing the ship. After quite some while of silence, he looks at you inquisitory as if he's trying to piece things together._ _

__“I think he likes you.”_ _

__You peer over at him to see he’s already staring at you, to which you expected a smirk, but there was none. The child coos at you as you give him some fruit, the sweet taste had made the child even more excited._ _

__“Well, I would hope so. We’ve been business partners for two years now.”_ _

__The boy just shakes his head while he cracks a smile, silently laughing at your obliviousness. You ignored his snickering as you beamed at the child in your arms as he babbled away while food dribbled down his chin._ _

__“No, I think he _likes _you. I mean, he did kiss you earlier, even if it was just your forehead and his helmet.”___ _

____You paused from wiping the food on the child’s chin, your eyes snapping shut at the idea. Could he? This prince was much smarter than he looks, and he did have a good point. But how can you get your hopes up? He had his creed. He had The Way._ _ _ _

____You shake your head, “ _Kriff _—He doesn’t like me like that. We’re just bounty hunters, we're just partners.”___ _ _ _

______The prince tries not to laugh at your statement, but he can’t help it. The two of you were utterly hopeless and agonizingly oblivious._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’ll see.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“What-”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Your eyes follow the trail of boots that descend the ladder, the Mandalorians beskar shining bright against your soft eyes. He nods at you and the child, prompting a coo from the small thing. You couldn't help but just stare at the man, watching as he sits near you with a blaster rested on his thigh. He knew that you could handle yourself, you have one of the meanest right hooks he's ever seen. But he figured he would give you some kind of a break with also watching the bounty. However, he wasn't expecting the prince to straight out flirt with you._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You’re the most beautiful person in the galaxy I’ve ever seen.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Your jaw becomes slack at his comment as your eyes widen. You didn’t know how to respond while he just smirked at your flustered form. It was obvious you were caught off guard, your hands shook slightly as you placed another spoonful of food in the child's mouth. Despite being a nervous wreck, you still couldn't help but watch the Mandalorian._ _ _ _ _ _

______The anger that the Mandalorian was giving off definitely didn’t miss the two of you, which confused you no less. His shoulders were tense as he grabbed his blaster, aggressively spreading oil on it with a beat-up rag. The prince looks over at you with his eyebrows raised in a knowing manner, making you scoff lightly. But the kid just smirks again, staring straight at the Mandalorian because he _knew _it would drive him absolutely insane.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you sure you’re not with anyone, sweets? You know, you could always be with me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________You shake your head at him and laugh, avoiding the question altogether. You were aware of what he was doing, but getting the compliments upfront definitely felt good. The child giggled as he pulled on your earlobes, smiling at the fact that his parents are in the same room. The Mandalorian stayed silent while he watched the prince continue to flirt with you, frustration rising to the brink of his throat. He had tried to stay as quiet as possible, hyperfixating on this blaster that rested on his thigh still. Although, it was still difficult to hide his pure anger._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________His chest heaved up and down, and his eyebrows were creased. His lips curled into a large frown, his hands tightening on the holster of the blaster. He couldn’t help but just be so angry at the smile that played on your face while the prince smirked at you. He didn’t want to admit why he was so angry, but he was so unbelievably furious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Does tin can over there satisfy you? I can-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Snap! ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________You and the prince whip your head over to see the blaster completely dented, the barrel of the blaster dented away from The Mandalorian._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Before you could actually react to the fact that he _kriffing _dented a blaster, the Mandalorian stands up and stalks over to the prince. Despite not knowing what the Mandalorian looks like, you could sense the pure rage that radiated off of him. It brooded off of him and bled into the entirety of the ship—you have never seen him _so _angry._____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He abruptly takes a fist full of the prince’s shirt, easily lifting him like he’s nothing. He takes the kid over to the ramp and aggressively presses the buttons. Once the ramp is open, he flings the kid out onto the ground, a scream opens in the air. He quickly presses the buttons again, wanting to close the ramp as fast as possible so the kid doesn’t get any ideas of getting back onto the ship._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What the kriff was that mando? That was our bounty! Hey! I’m talking to you!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________He just ignores you as you stare, stomping off into the cockpit hoping you won’t follow him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	3. Get Back On the Ship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You try to persuade the Mandalorian into bringing the prince back into the ship.
> 
> A complete rewrite of chapter three. I realized I didn't like it and decided to do it over again. I hope you enjoy!

”Mando!”

You’re following him into the cockpit as he lets out an exasperated sigh, your blood boiling at the thought of him being exasperated. He just threw your bounty out like he was a bag full of trash, and he wants to act like you’re the childish one?

“Why did you do that?”

The Mandalorian had to close his eyes for just a second, trying desperately to regain any composure he had left. All he could think about was the way your laugh sounded when the prince spoke those words, the way your body became flustered as he dazzled a smile. 

“I was protecting you.”

It was a lame excuse, an attempt to cover up his blinding jealousy of the prince talking to you in such a manner. He honestly doesn’t remember much of the last five minutes; the jealousy had surged through him. 

He was constantly filled with such embitterment as though it was corrupting his body and mind. That core feeling settled deep within his stomach, swirling and twisting around. He didn’t expect your reaction, though. He didn’t expect you to reel yourself back as though your words physically hurt you—as though they had burned you. And he didn’t blame you, the way his tone gutted out of the modulator, it was rough and laced with a certain glint of understanding that indicated you weren’t capable. His words made you feel incompetent like you weren't able to handle yourself. It made you feel like a liability as if you weren’t of any use around him. 

“Protecting me?” 

The Mandalorian cringed underneath the helmet at your venom laced words and grit of your teeth. He noticed the change between your expression; one of confusion had turned into one of irritation.

“I am not some damsel in distress that needs saving from a flirting prince! I don’t need your protection, mando. I need a bounty hunter to do his damn job.”

The Mandalorian ached to touch the linings of your cheek and jaw, to tell you over and over again that you are capable—you are highly capable of handling yourself in any situation. He admires you for being able to take care of yourself, even more than he could. 

“Wait.”

You stop dead in your tracks, just in front of the pad that opened the ramp to the ship. You turn slightly to see him near the ladder where the cockpit is, and you wait patiently for his response. Even now, he still doesn’t regret throwing the prince out. And that makes guilt strike right in his gut. He regrets, however, that you think he doesn’t admire your ability to fight and protect yourself. 

“I don’t... I know you’re capable, and you don’t need my protection. You’re an amazing fighter and bounty hunter. You’re the best I’ve ever seen, you’re the best in the parsec. That’s not... I didn’t like the way he was speaking to you, cyare.”

“Cyare?”

His body goes still at your question, even though he has a helmet on and couldn’t make eye contact with you. He didn’t even notice that the words left his mouth, the small nickname he always called you in his head or when he was patching up your wounds. 

“It’s... just a nickname... for a friend.”

You raise your eyebrow at his delayed response, knowing that he was lying. You didn’t know what he was lying about, but it was still there. You pressed the button to the ramp and watched as it slowly led down, the sandy dunes of Tatooine hitting your eyes. 

You look around to see the prince still standing there, blinking in shock at the events moments ago. He looked shaken up as well, not paying much attention to your presence. He definitely wasn’t expecting the Mandalorian to bend a blaster and then throw him off the ship. He looked up to see you offer a hand, and he cautiously took it. 

“I’m sorry about him.”

“Jealousy got the best of him, I see.”

You shook your head, not believing that he was jealous of the prince. It was clear he was only ‘protecting’ you. 

“He said he was just protecting me.”

The prince raised his eyebrows and smirked; you notice that he seems to be back to his normal self. 

“Of course he did. He doesn’t want you to know he’s insanely jealous.”

You shake your head again, your heart thumping against your chest. There was no way that the Mandalorian was jealous. For kriff’s sake, you barely knew anything about him despite being his partner for years. 

“Oh come on, sweets, I know you’re not that dense. I told you that he would react this way, didn’t I? I wasn’t expecting him to bend a blaster and throw me off of the ship, but he proved my point. He likes you.”

You turn around to see the Mandalorian standing near the entrance of the ship, the child resting on his forearm. You knew he wanted to go to the nearest cantina by the way he had all of his belongings prepared. The Mandalorian liked to scope out more bounties before turning one in. 

Your body became flustered as you felt The Mandalorian’s eyes on yours, it almost made you squirm. 

“I can show you again if you don’t believe me.”

“What—”

You let out a yelp as the prince pounces on you in a hug. It was a little awkward considering that he was in cuffs, but he made do with what he had. Before you could even react, the prince was flung off of you, and his body hit the sandy ground with a thump.

“Do not touch her.”

Your mouth hung open at the venom that laced between his teeth. His grip stayed on the prince’s shirt; it was crinkling in Mando’s fist. He stared hard at the prince before him and waiting until the prince nodded in understanding.

Holy Kriff—he _was_ jealous.

“Let’s go.”

You grabbed onto the prince’s cuffs, walking along the hot sand while tugging. The Mandalorian wasn’t far behind as he grabbed the kid from off of the ground and carried him along. 

The prince turned to you and winked, your mind still too shocked to say a single word. You should’ve noticed sooner, the small glances and longing touches. The Mandalorian liked you, and all you had done was sit there wishing it was true. Except, now it is true.

“So, _angel_ , where are you taking me?”

The prince’s voice sounded sweet and thick like honey. The Mandalorian's grip on his belt tightened significantly, and he felt his body stiffen. He felt the whole world stop as your laugh was prominent and loud. 

This was going to be a _long_ day.


	4. The Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You arrive to the cantina with the prince to realize you’ve been ambushed by imps looking for the child. You just hoped mando would be there on time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CW: reader is drugged**

The walk to the nearest cantina was long. The four of you trudged along the sandy dunes with the hot suns on your backs.

Your mind couldn’t help but wander to the thoughts of the Mandalorian. The Mandalorian _likes_ you. He likes you more than just a bounty hunter partner to share rations with. You had tried to repress those feelings for _so long_ because they felt so childish. He was a Mandalorian for kriff’s sake, how could he ever like _you_?

And now it’s right in front of you, the soft feelings fluttering between the two of you—just barely touching. You were having a difficult time trying to keep your composure especially with his eyes on your back. Your heart thumps wildly against your chest at the thought of your conversation with the prince. 

_“Oh come on, sweets, I know you’re not that dense. I told you that he would react this way, didn’t I? I wasn’t expecting him to bend a blaster and throw me off of the ship, but he proved my point. He **likes** you.”_

_Kriff_ —you wished that you could get a grip of yourself. Your body was practically tumbling around on the dunes with your hands clenching around the chain that held the price.

Mando had noticed your change in demeanor quite some time ago, but he didn’t want to say anything to upset you. All he could do was hope that you were okay.

After about ten minutes of walking, you all walked into the cantina. It was a little run-down but not too shabby for staying temporarily. The paint was chipping off the walls, and the chairs had some stuffing pulled out of them. Soft jizz was playing in the background, the speakers slightly lowered. 

You found that all eyes were on your group. The patrons inside whispering to one another and eyeing up the Mandalorian. He stuck out like a sore thumb, his beskar armor shining slightly against the dim lights.

You sat the Prince down at the farthest table in the back, knowing that the Mandalorian wants to keep his eyes on everything going on. Mando just looked ahead and watched every single person around, trying to make sure that the four of you were safe.

The waiter walked up to the three of you; his eyebrow raises at the sight of the Prince in handcuffs and the fact that there’s a man covered in full beskar armor. However, he doesn’t say a word, most likely knowing it isn’t his place. The Mandalorian sits right next to you, his t-shaped visor trained onto the waiter. 

“Two soups.”

The waiter nods and leaves you be. The Mandalorian then sets down the child in a highchair. He garbles out nonsense as he drools at the different encouraging smells around the cantina. 

“So a cantina, huh?” The prince asks. Him and Mando both turn to you, but see that you’re practically far away. All you did was stare ahead, rich deep thoughts swirling in your mind.

“victoria?”

Your hands fiddled with one another. Your eyes hyper fixated on the table in front of you. You couldn’t look at him right now. You just couldn’t. You were afraid that once you did, you never wanted to look away.

You then see the two of them staring at you, you blink. “Huh?”

“What’s wrong?” Your eyes snapped towards him, and you bit your lip. The thoughts were just nagging at you at each passing second. But now wasn’t the time for you to profess your undying love to Mando in a dirty cantina.

The Prince was right next to you too, and you were in public. Something just didn’t feel right about this moment. So, you just shake your head. “It’s nothing, really.”

You could tell that he gave you a look behind that helmet, but you really _were_ fine. After so long and many lonely nights spent on the Razor Crest, your feelings are finally reciprocated. It made your heart soar—your eyes glint.

You let out a sigh, eyes flickering to his t-shaped visor again. “I’m fine, okay? Really. It’s not- I can’t tell you here.” 

His back straightened. “I-” His voice faltered as his whole body went rigid. You hadn’t even gotten your soups yet, and there was something already wrong.

You open your mouth to ask what was wrong but he grabs your wrist and lifts you up as if you were nothing. You gave him a look as he shoved the child into your hands. “There are imps over by the corner, and there might be more. Take the kid and leave.”

You look to see where his gaze landed, and there they were, four imps talking to the bartender at the front of the cantina. It looked like they were talking about something important, especially when the bartender pointed at _you_.

“What? I’m not gonna just-”

“Go! I’ll distract them, okay?”

You turned to the prince. “But what about”

“I got the prince, too. It’s okay. Go!” You just nodded and placed the child into your satchel. You dashed out of the cantina, running out to see the flashing of white armor. 

“Hey! There she is!” 

You ran through the crowds of Mos Eisley, desperately trying to run as fast as you could. You stumble a bit before running in the opposite direction and into a small market.

You take a quick look behind you and let out a yelp at the close proximity of the imps. They were trailing _right_ behind you. You looked down to see the child with a bright smile on his face while being jumbled around in your bag. 

Your eyes widened as you almost come face-first into a customer at the market, but you shove them aside before breaking off into a sprint again. The market just kept getting more and more crowded, your body pushing and bumping into more and more people.

You looked back to see all of them about ten feet away—their voices ringing in their ears that they’ve _found you_. You needed to hide and you needed to hide fast. There was no way in hell that you would let them take the child.

Your eyes widened at the corner of an alleyway from a distance. Taking a sharp turn into an alleyway, you run into the dark area. No one was in it, but you could hear the imps not far behind.

You shove your back against a wall next to some crates and stay as still as possible. You slowed your breathing and tried to stay quiet as the crunching of the imp’s boots slowly scatter across the ally.

“We know you’re here.” You clasp your hand over your mouth, hoping that you wouldn’t make a single sound and hoped to maker that the child wouldn’t either. “And we know you have the child.”

Your hand reaches for your blaster. “It doesn’t have to be this way, you know. Moff wants the child, not you.” You could hear how close they were, your mind estimating that there were about four of them. 

“Just hand over the child-” You whip around the crates and fire your blaster at the closest one. It hits him square in the chest and is knocked back onto the ground. 

You flung your body back behind the creates as blasters are being shot in all your directions. You looked down to see the child fine with his ears bent downward in worry. You try to reassure him but then let out a curse as a blaster fire almost hits your shoulder. 

One of them runs around the corner and points a blaster straight at your face, but you grab their wrist and snap it forward. They tumble towards you, and you knee their stomach, applying just the right pressure to their armor. You watched as their body falls, _two down and two to go_. 

You peak around the crates to see one of them inching closer and closer. You aim your blaster right to the crown of his head. You place your finger on the trigger. But wait, where was the other one?

A hand comes to wrap around your throat, causing you to gasp for air. Your hands immediately try and get the pressure off of your throat, which prompted the imp just to choke even harder. 

“Fucking bitch-” Out of nowhere, his other hand throws a strange blue powder all over your face. You cough and wheeze, his hand letting you go free. Your hands immediately went to your neck to alleviate some of the pressure from his hand. 

But something was wrong—very wrong. You place both palms on the side of your head, trying to steady your very dizzy head. 

“The kid…” Your vision blurs as you reach for him, your body becoming limp with each passing second. “I need… the kid.” Your hand connects to his little fingers, and his big eyes look at you in concern. Your body becomes fully debilitated, and your eyes fluttered closed, the darkness surrounding you completely. 

“Get her and the child. We don’t have all day.” And just like that, you and the child were gone.


End file.
